IA Strategic Plan Focuses on Innovation, Entrepreneurship, Industry Clusters

Gov. Terry Branstad announced the release of the findings from the Iowa’s Re-envisioned Economic Development Roadmap  – a year-long effort to set a future strategic direction for economic development in Iowa. During the year-long study, the authors from Battelle examined the current position of Iowa’s economy as compared to the nation and benchmarked states. The authors concluded that Iowa has made substantial economic progress over the last decade, resulting in positive trends in Iowa’s top-line measures including increased productivity, job growth, wages, and per capita income.

To maintain this positive growth, the authors outlined recommendations in four key areas including: build on the competitiveness and growth of Iowa’s industry clusters; generate and attract skilled workforce; accelerate the development of the state’s emerging entrepreneurial eco-system; and, advance physical infrastructure and regional development capacities. The Battelle Technology Partnership Practice was commissioned to complete the study by the Iowa Partnership for Economic Progress and the Iowa Business Council to conduct this comprehensive analysis. Read the report…